MLB Player News
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Josh H. Smith SS | TEX
Rangers' Josh Smith: Records 10th steal
Smith went 1-for-5 with a stolen base in Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the Diamondbacks.
Smith is up to 10 steals on the year, though he hadn't logged one over his first 41 games in the second half. His previous pilfer came versus the Astros on July 12. Smith has gone 7-for-29 (.241) over his last eight games and continues to see steady time at shortstop versus right-handed pitchers to cover the absence of Corey Seager (appendectomy). On the year, Smith is slashing .255/.334/.375 with nine home runs, 33 RBI, 63 runs scored, 22 doubles and two triples through 500 plate appearances in a utility role.
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Jorge Mateo SS | ATL
Orioles' Jorge Mateo: Activated from IL
The Orioles reinstated Mateo (hamstring) from the injured list Tuesday.
Mateo initially landed on the injured list in June with a left elbow injury, but his time on the shelf was extended by a couple of months after he strained his left hamstring during a rehab game at Triple-A Norfolk. Now fully recovered from both injuries, the 30-year-old utility man will rejoin the active roster and likely take on a bench role, though his defensive versatility will boost his odds of cracking the starting nine occasionally. With Tyler Wells (elbow) also returning from the 60-day IL on Tuesday, Corbin Martin and Elvin Rodriguez were DFA'd to make room on the 40-man roster.
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Gabriel Arias SS | CLE
Guardians' Gabriel Arias: Held out again Tuesday
Arias (hand) remains out of the lineup for Tuesday's game in Boston.
The expectation had been that Arias would return to action Tuesday, but instead he will miss a fourth straight start with a right hand contusion. Brayan Rocchio will again handle shortstop, while Angel Martinez will step in at second base.
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Javier Baez SS | DET
Tigers' Javier Baez: Playing time slipping
Baez is not in the lineup for Tuesday's contest against the Mets.
Baez has now started just three of the last eight games and two of the last seven versus right-handed pitching. He's slashing .224/.229/.308 with a 1:36 BB:K in the second half. Trey Sweeney will play shortstop and Wenceel Perez will be in center field for the Tigers on Tuesday.
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Josuar De Jesus Gonzalez SS | SF
Giants' Josuar Gonzalez: Lives up to hype
Gonzalez slashed .288/.404/.455 with four home runs, 33 steals, a 16.2 percent walk rate and a 15.8 percent strikeout rate in 52 games in the Dominican Summer League.
The top teenage international prospect to sign on Jan. 15 this year, Gonzalez lived up to the hype in his pro debut. His athleticism was arguably the standout trait during his tour of the DSL, as he registered a 9.7 speed score on FanGraphs while going 33-for-38 (86.8 percent success rate) on the bases. Gonzalez only played shortstop this season and projects to stick there long term.
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Ha-seong Kim 2B | ATL
Braves' Ha-Seong Kim: Activated from injured list
Atlanta activated Kim (back) from the 10-day injured list Tuesday.
Kim was scooped up from the Rays via waivers Monday and now joins the active roster with his new club. The 29-year-old has been limited to only 24 games this season due to injury and has slashed an uninspiring .214/.290/.321 when on the field. However, Kim should operate as Atlanta's everyday shortstop down the stretch, and with a $16 million player option for 2026, he could be the team's regular at the position next season, as well.
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Nick Allen SS | HOU
Braves' Nick Allen: Set to lose starting job
Allen went 1-for-4 in Monday's extra-inning loss to the Cubs, and over his last 13 games he's batting just .111 (3-for-27) with a 0:10 BB:K.
The 26-year-old offers a good glove at shortstop, but Allen has never figured out how to hit big-league pitching and has a .534 OPS through 405 plate appearances this season, and a .536 OPS for his career. Atlanta claimed Ha-Seong Kim (back) off waivers from the Rays on Monday, and he's expected to take over as the team's starting shortstop once he's activated from the IL, which could happen as soon as Tuesday. Allen will likely be relegated to a late-inning defensive role after Kim joins the active roster.
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Gabriel Arias SS | CLE
Guardians' Gabriel Arias: Expected to return Tuesday
Arias (hand) is expected to return to lineup Tuesday, MLB.com reports.
Arias has missed three games after taking a pitch off his right hand Friday. He was available off the bench Monday but did not play. In his absence, Brayan Rocchio has filled in at shortstop.
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Willy Adames SS | SF
Giants' Willy Adames: Homers again Monday
Adames went 2-for-4 with a home run, a walk and three total RBI in Monday's 8-2 victory versus Colorado.
Adames' first RBI came on a bases-loaded walk in the fifth inning. The veteran shortstop then capped the scoring in the contest with a two-run blast in the seventh. Adames has had his power stroke working of late, belting seven home runs and driving in 13 runs while batting .341 over his past 11 games. He's up to 26 long balls on the campaign, putting him within range of his third career 30-homer season.